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Barton Reading and Grade Level of Reading


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I'm currently doing Barton Reading and Spelling with Daisy, my 12 year old. It's going well and we're just starting Level Two. I'm also currently planning our next year's curriculum and literature selections and wanting to guesstimate which books she'll be able to read independently and which we'll do as family read-alouds. I'm also just a planner and like to know exactly where we're headed with things :)

 

Anyway, so I'm curious. what grade level were your children reading at, or what books were they reading, after each level of Barton? 

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I glanced -- and she says no pleasure reading until the middle of Level 4, and then only child-initiated.  Before that controlled text. (I googled and it said that in "advice for homeschooling parents." Then next slide has ideas for what to do instead ---- seem like good ideas to me.)

 

The reason is ---- if she is asked to read words she does not have a strategy to read, she may guess or use context clues.  Which ----- is good later on, but early on, can detract from the reading strategies she is working on in Barton.

 

That is my understanding. 

 

The thing is, too, maybe she will blow through the levels and be there very quickly.  Or, maybe she will take longer in the levels. 

 

It can vary SO much, because some things are harder and easier for different kids. 

 

Also some people are spending more or less time, so that is also part of it.  But mainly --- it is just how difficult it is, I think. 

 

I have made time comparisons, and there are things where my son has taken 3 times as long for a certain thing than another child described on this board.  And then things where he just picked things right up, too. 

 

I think it is a risk that it can be disappointing if you hope for her to get to a certain level in a time, and she doesn't make it that quickly.  So ---- it is hard, but I think just wait!  Maybe you can have books that can be either read-aloud, or she can read if she is ready.  But just think they will be read-alouds, and then a nice surprise if she can read them. 

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Thanks for that, I hadn't seen that article but I'm definitely going to go find it now and read it. We've definitely been avoiding asking her to read anything outside of Barton for this year for exactly that reason you described....she guesses and makes rampant mistakes, continuing the bad habits she got from her earlier reading instruction in school.

 

So I guess I'll just assume we will do no independent reading until her 7th grade year (she's in 5th now) because by then she should be done with Level 4. If she does a little at the end of next year on her own then I'll just be happily surprised :)

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I agree with Lecka.  If they are being asked to read but have not been trained to correctly decode those specific types of words, the child will very likely end up developing bad guessing habits again (something Barton is trying to undo).  And they may also get discouraged that Barton isn't helping since it may feel like they still can't read.  Since the levels do not equate to grade levels or reading levels, unless you are using the Barton controlled reading texts it may be mighty hard to find a reader that doesn't encourage guessing.  

 

I will say that after Level 3, DD started reading books on her own for pleasure and has continued that, but I never have her read out loud (unless she just wants to). I frequently read a few chapters with her, and it is her choice on books she picks up (although I try to screen for content ahead of time and will read to her and edit on the fly when necessary).

 

FWIW, from our experience and what I have read from others using this system, timing on when a child gets through each lesson/level will definitely depend on the child and your personal circumstances, by the way.  DD started long before DS in Barton, but she took longer to get through each lesson in Level 1, 2 and half of three.  DS was grasping everything so quickly that he managed to catch up to her without a lot of effort.  He did well with Level 3, too, but had to slow down towards the end.  He did catch up to DD, though, and was very solid on Level 1 and 2 and a lot of Level 3.  And yet, by the end of Level 3 I could tell he still had some things tripping him up that were not tripping DD up.  She is now in Level 4 and DS is reviewing certain things in Level 3 (certain blended sounds in specific situations plus hard and soft "c" sounds).  We are doing this even though he passed the post test because Level 4 will get even more complex.  He needs to be solid on Level 3 first.  He understands the rules and has internalized them.  He just has odd glitches that I had not anticipated.

 

Level 4 is taking DD quite a bit more time than Level 3, by the way.  I am having to go very slow, do a lot of review, etc.  It is a very intense level (in fact, I have seen a lot of people quit when they get to this level).  We are progressing and she is doing well (just passed a spelling test with 100) and her reading continues to improve.  We just have to tackle each lesson at the right pace for that lesson.  Some days she breezes through.  Other times we stay on the same lesson for a couple of weeks, until her understanding and application are solid.

 

Best wishes....

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I'm currently doing Barton Reading and Spelling with Daisy, my 12 year old. It's going well and we're just starting Level Two. I'm also currently planning our next year's curriculum and literature selections and wanting to guesstimate which books she'll be able to read independently and which we'll do as family read-alouds. I'm also just a planner and like to know exactly where we're headed with things :)

 

Anyway, so I'm curious. what grade level were your children reading at, or what books were they reading, after each level of Barton? 

 

My son's dyslexia may have been more severe than many children's.  We started Barton (and LiPs-as he couldn't pass the Barton screen) when he would have been in third grade. He wasn't really reading, (just guessing), at that point. It took three years before he was reading at grade level and last year (our fourth year of Barton) his reading slightly passed grade level.  Language mechanics and spelling is still slightly below grade level.  We held off on independent reading until he mostly stopped guessing.  This year his reading for pleasure has taken off--to the point where I now have to tell him to put down his book and do his other work! 

 

Read Alouds--I have always selected them independent of grade levels, as I have children of many ages.  This year's family read-alouds included the Lord of the Rings, at my son's request.  After I'd read them aloud, he started picking them up to re-read independently. I say read to your children well above the ages and reading level that they can read!  As long as it is a compelling story, they will listen and develop a better vocabulary.  As you are planning, plan that you will need to do much of the reading, but since you are the one reading, you can read to her above her grade level.

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After level 3, I had my son read the level 3 readers from Barton. Now that he has completed Level 4, I will have him read the level 4 readers.

 

He has completed an extensive list of audiobooks that are at grade level. He prefers to do Immersion Reading with the Kindle, but has also done a few through Learning Ally. If you are purchasing Barton through Susan Barton, she will be a reference for Learning Ally.

 

He enjoys audiobooks because it keeps him independent, and he is able to ear-read (terminology from the Dyslexia Empowerment Plan) books that I might not be willing to read aloud to his younger, more sensitive sibling.

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I agree with PPs, using material above grade level, read aloud and do some Immersion reading or the like whenever possible.   Give them plenty of exposure to both. Seeing the print while hearing the audio is a great reinforcer without the decoding and fluency issues.  But reading aloud together encourages discussion and more indepth understanding of the material, especially if there are references unfamiliar to the child.

 

DD does not do well with just hearing books on cd.  They talk to quickly for her to process.  When I read to her, I can slow down, I can pause and discuss, etc.  She finds it much easier.  But she also likes reading on her own.  She has improved dramatically just in the past few months with her reading/spelling and reads independently now, but still needs help with decoding more advanced books.  Giving her technology to help her through gives her the chance to continue expanding her vocabulary and concept exposure while still moving forward in her remediation.  Independent free reading is now something she chooses and enjoys.  No more tears and frustration.  But we still read aloud and she still has books on Kindle that include text to speech or Immersion Reading.  The combination of the three is great.

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Does Barton have nonsense words?

If not, you may want to add in nonsense words from my free game:

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

She could also try having her watch my online phonics lessons while you work with your other children, it may help accelerate her progress through Barton.

I have tutored remedial students from 20 years, and found that the nonsense words are really helpful to stop the guessing habits from the sight words and other whole word practices in schools.

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Does Barton have nonsense words?

If not, you may want to add in nonsense words from my free game:

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

She could also try having her watch my online phonics lessons while you work with your other children, it may help accelerate her progress through Barton.

I have tutored remedial students from 20 years, and found that the nonsense words are really helpful to stop the guessing habits from the sight words and other whole word practices in schools.

 

Actually, to answer your question. Barton does have nonsense words.  And they are incorporated throughout each lesson (and so far have been there at every level we have done) so sometimes you are finger spelling, sometimes you are using tiles, sometimes you are reading them or writing them, but you move between nonsense and real words on a regular basis.  And you are right, it really does help.

 

I love your site and the free game.  Awesome.

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